Splatoon 3 Single-player Campaign and Gameplay Showcased

Splatoon 3 arrives in just under two weeks, and Nintendo shared gameplay from its campaign. The latest Nintendo Treehouse: Live broadcast showcased some previously unseen Splatoon 3 single-player gameplay. Treehouse presenters were on hand to go through several missions from the campaign. They also introduced some basic gameplay to viewers, who might be new to the series.

Check out the archive of the Splatoon 3 single-player portion of the broadcast.

The Splatoon 3 single-player campaign demo begins in Alterna, a distinct space used for the story campaign. Players are in the role of “Agent 3” (not the same as the one in Splatoon 2), investigating what’s going on in the domed arena. Besides the story, players can use the campaign mode as a safe space to practice before jumping into multiplayer matches. Splatoon and Splatoon 2 were more focused on their multiplayer component, and had fairly spartan single-player campaigns. Splatoon 2‘s story mode was expanded with the Octo Expansion DLC, which unlocked playable Octolings in multiplayer.

The Splatoon 3 campaign should be familiar to players who tackled those modes in the previous game. As Agent 3, players take on Octarians (now “enhanced” with fur) and progressively unlock areas by surmounting platform and combat challenges. They can choose their loadouts before beginning a mission, though the game will suggest tools tailored to the stage’s challenges. Other more specific challenges can also be found in Splatoon 3 single-player mode. The presenters took on challenges that feature the Splatana and the Tri-Stringer, the two new weapon types. Players also gather Power Eggs to unlock benefits and further story stages.

Following the Treehouse Live stream, Nintendo uploaded a “Gameplay Research 101” video laying out the basics of Splatoon 3 gameplay. Check it out if you’re new to the game or need a refresher on its core mechanics.

Splatoon 3 will launch on the Nintendo Switch on September 9, 2022. The Splatfest World Premiere demo is live, with the first Splatoon 3 Splatfest kicking off on August 27, 2022 at 9AM PT in North America. In Australia, Southeast Asia, and Korea, it happens on August 28, 2022 at 8AM GMT+8. Make sure to choose the right region when setting up for your local Splatfest.